1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a combination handgun holster and belt, and particularly relates to a means for retaining the handgun in the holster to prevent accidental displacement therefrom or removal therefrom by a person other than the person wearing the holster and yet provides rapid access to the gun by the person wearing the holster.
2. Prior Art
It is a known social fact that as the population increases, so does the potential number of criminal offenses increase. It is also a known fact that a number of police officers are being shot annually with their own weapons by a percentage of the criminal element. It is also a known fact that an exposed weapon leads to temptation.
Many holsters now in general use are provided at their uppen open end with flaps or straps which bend over the projecting portion of the handgun, i.e. the grips, for maintaining the handgun in the holster. Such flaps or straps are generally connected to the outer wall of the holster by a readily detachable fastening means such as the stud and socket of a conventional snap fastener. When such holsters are used, it is necessary to first disconnect the snap fastener, then raise the flap or strap to enable the handle of the gun to be grasped for the purpose of removal of the gun from the holster. Such movement involves a certain amount of time. Such delay in removing the gun from the holster can be deadly in that quick action is important where the lives of officers, soldiers, sailors and other persons authorized to carry guns for defense purposes are in danger.
Many attempts have been made to eliminate such type retaining member from the holster, see for example the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 1,635,984 to Corriston; 1,641,439 to Jovino; 2,109,734 to Preneta; 2,349,376 to Ray; 2,551,913 to Toby; 3,289,903 to Taormina; 3,718,240 to Rose; and 3,866,811 to Hamby.
All of the aforementioned references have discarded the use of the flap or strap over the handle of the handgun and gone to "quick-release" type devices attached to or within the holster itself to maintain the handgun in the holster. Such devices are of necessity fairly complicated, can tend to malfunction and generally may not provide for the positive retention of the gun in the holster. Thus, for example, there are many instances when a law enforcement officer may be handling a suspect without a drawn gun and it is possible for the suspect to gain a momentary advantage for the purpose of withdrawing the gun from the officer's holster. In addition it is possible that during a running chase a holster could be jarred loose from its holster and dropped to the ground.